MacGyver(BB)

I've run into spider mites at one point on almost every grow. They can be present in the room mbefore plants come in, they can sneak in after or , most commonly in my experience, they come in when you get clones from another person.

A spider mite is a small spider, a little smaller than a pinhead that can do some serious damage to your plants. They work by clinging to the underside of your leaves and sucking the juices from your plants. Damage is apparent on the top of your leaves in the form of tiny yellow or white dots. As the pest problem progreses the yellow dots will begin to take up the majority of the leaf, until it dies completely. The mites begin to move up from the bottom leaves, and make thier way up the plant.



Mites reproduce quickly, and many eggs can be seen alongside adults and nymphs(young) if you look at a badly infested plant.

In severe infestations, the leaves will be riddled with yellow dots, giving the plant an yellow appearence. The mites will beging to build 'cities' of webs from leaf to leaf, and the buds will be covered in a mesh of web. The mites will often be seen walking up and down these webs, and can also be seen grouping together in masses taking part in mad orgies. If your mite problem has gotten to this stage, and they have built 'Miteropolis' atop your precious plant, it is obviously out of control.

Prevention, Control & Treatment

The Mite Habitat

Mites, like any garden pest, feed on plants. They come from outside, and will feed on just about any plant with leaves. Outdoors they are rarely a problem, as they have a whole world of food, indoors however, they have only one food source - your plants. There are usually no predators, and the weather is always nice.

Mites thrive in a hot, dry environment. The heat mainly causes problems because it greatly reduces the incubation period of the eggs, so more mites hatch, grow and lay more eggs. This is another reason why temp control is so important.

-Prevention

They best way to avoid mites is to prevent them completely. Avoid bringing in infested clones, or clones known to come from a 'mitey' grow.

-Have a specific pair of shoes, and clothes to work in your room.

-Avoid gardening outside, then coming in to your indoor garden right after.

-Treatment

If you've notices mites on your plants, action must be taken quickly. Nip the problem in the bud (not literally ) before it really becomes a problem. A serious infestation can be a real headache.

-Insecticides

There are several options here. The common insecticides used for mites are Pyrethrins, Piperonal Butoxide (PBO), Oils like neem or canola, or Avid - which is derived from a bacteria.

Mites need presistant control. They can quicly develop resistance to pesticides, so it is imperitive to kill as many as possible with each application. Let none survive, as they will only strenghten the mites resistance to that chemical.

*** Proper precautions should be taken when handling any insecticide, such as gloves, long clothes and breathing protection - as well as good ventilation. If you ever feel yourself getting woozy while spraying, stop immediately and get some fresh air. Always read precautions and direction on the label before using. ***

Pyrethrins are derived from the chrysanthemum flower. Just because they are natural source doesn't mean they are safe to handle. They work by disturbing the reproductive cycle of the mite. Pyrithrins are often combined with PBO or canola oil. PBO accelerates the action of pyretherin, while canola oil causes it to adhere to the pests.
Undersides of leaves (and tops) should be covered thoroughtly and completely. This product must touch the pests to be effective
Pyrithrins should not be within 5 weeks of harvest. I'd avoid PBO althogether.

Neem and other oils stick to the insect and interfere with molting (shedding of 'skin') If the bug cannot molt, it cannot develop, and will die. Neem also interferes with the reproductive cycle. Neem oil comes from the Neem Tree (Azadirachta Indica) in India and Asia. The effective chemical is called Azadirachtin (surprised?) It is one of the few pesticides that is entirely safe for humans. Neem oil is also used in natural soaps, creams and even toothpastes. It has a pungent, garlic like odour, instead of a harsh chemical smell.
Undersides of leaves (and tops) should be covered thoroughtly and completely. This product must touch the pests to be effective
Use anytime. I'd avoid within 2 weeks of harvest though, so your product does not contain extra oils/tastes/smells

Finally there is Avid. I know little about this substance, but I believe it is derived from a bacteria. I'm not sure how it works, but I do know it works very well. One applicaion eradicated my mites completely, and I did not see another one until about 4 days before harvest - at which point it was not a problem. Avid is absorbed into the plant, and remains there for about 6 weeks. It should not be used within this time period before harvest. The best way is to give them a shot about a week after flowering is initiated. One of Avid's main advantages is that plants need not be saturated. A light misting on the top of all the leaves will suffice.
The only disadvantages of Avid are it is difficult to find in small quantities, and the large bottles are several hundred dollars.
Don't use within 6-7 weeks of harvest.

-Non Chemical Means

Mites can be manually removed if seen. Squish them with your fingers or blast them away with a jet of water. This is really only effective if you have one or two plants.

There are predators that can be introduced such as ladybugs, predator mites and nematodes. I have no experience on how well these work. These cannot be used in combination with insecticides for obvious reasons.

Mites can be lured away from your plants using other ones. I really don't know which is [i]thier[i/] favorite, but I certainly know wht mine is

Mites don not like the cold! More on this below.

-Control

Just because you don't see any mites, doesn't mean they aren't there. Here's some tips to keep thier numbers down and in check

-Keep your temps low. Low 20's Celcius or Mid 70's F is best. Temps over 30C or 80F cause greatly increaces reproduction

-Keep humidity at a good level. Mites love dry conditions

-If you have had a mite problem in the past, contunue you treatment regimen for several months after you stop noticing mites.

- Itried Avid once, and I can say that it is the single best product I've used for mites. From now on I will always give a treatement as I am swithcing the plants into flowering.


LINKS

Some additional info on the spider mite, and it's life cycle
A little Info on Avid
Avid MSDS (Material Safety Data Sheet) PDF format
Pyrethrin Safety
More mite info
Predator Info
Even more mite info (same shit different pile)
A little info on Neem oil

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duronimo

Hi My nasty roomate brought scabies to the house which is also a mite. After a week of neem oil they seem to gargle it and swim around waving. After reading here where someone burned there skin with AVID I am applying it in high concentration right on the open sore of a blood mine. If i live i will be happy to post my results ... Mites suck ... human or otherwise.,

On topic blasting away mites with water also washes nitrogen from the leaves so do it on feeding day. W00T !

duronimo

HIPPY CRAP WARNING


AVID sterilizes bugs not people.

AGAIN

AVID sterilizes bugs not people.


It is derived from a fungus found in a Japanese golf course.


The Active ingredient in AVID is Abamectin and is used as an oral miticide for AIDS patience.


AVID is not as deadly as every hippy will claim. . . A solution of 10 drops of AVID diluted in one quart of water to make a thick paste of 35000p Cayenne pepper kills scabies and the flesh eating bacterial infection they carry..... when nothing else will.. . Not for pussies . . both figurative and literal. .

Please be sure to google all hippy crap and look for writers that use big words and spell correctly and seem to be from europe. . .

Thanks
-=Duronimo

takeapuffofweed

there is a spray called doctor doom that will kill all spidermites and other bugs

LazyMJ68

What about Floramite or Forbid? any experience with heavy duty stuff?

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Due to your lack of experience in other peoples past, how can you accurately judge?

Pharm Girl

Here's what I used and it worked for me...

Rubbing alcohol 50%........add 8 oz's of 50% iso to 4 oz's of distilled water into a spray bottle.....make sure the fan is on and it's venting outside.

Repeat in 3 days...which should give ya time to completly clean the grow area, walls inc.

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Become an inquisitive free thinking
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farmergiles

Avid is dangerous to human health. The hazard warning on the label should be taken note of and all relevant precautions taken.

Avid should not be used too close to harvest and personally I'd be very reluctant to use it in flower at all..

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TheGodDegree

Avid is definitely dangerous to human health. That should not even be a matter of argument. However, Avid is extremely effective.

When it comes to using Avid, I wouldn't even fuck with it after the first week or two of flower.

A buddy of mine recently had to deal with a sudden Spider Mite infestation during week 1 of flower and had to decide what he wanted to do about it. Clearly, he was reluctant about using it, but we eventually went out and bought a proper sprayer, some masks, goggles, and gloves and drenched the plants with Avid. Spider Mites were no longer an issue. It was a massacre. They had no chance.

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